Improved cotton-bale tie



UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIOE.

HENRY B. MEERITT, OE ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOE To ISAAC H.

MEEEITT, OE MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE.

||v| PRovED COTTON-BALB TlE.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 70,452, dated November 5, 1867 To all whom it may concern.-

Beit known that I, H. B. MERRITT, of the city and county of St. Louis, and State of Missouri, have invented a new Cotton-Bale Tie.; and I do herebydeelare that the following is a full and clear description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

The nature of this invention consists in the application, to the two ends of an iron band surrounding a cotton-bale, of a metallic tiepiece, constructed somewhat in the shape of a horseshoe. The chief advantages of this form Of tie arise from the fact that the hoop may be attached to it without any riveting whatever, and that there are no square corners on the lock-piece to come in contact with the hoop and rupture it.

To enable those skilled in the art to make and use my improved tie,I will proceed to de! scribe its construction and operation.

Figure l of the drawings is a plan Ot' theirnproved tie and portions Of hoop attached to it. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section through the center of the tie and hoop.

The tie-piece A may be of cast Or wrought iron, and is to be made somewhat in the shape of a horseshoe. The back part of the tie and the adjoining ends of the legs are to be strengthened by an additional amount of metal formed into a flange, a. This will prevent the tie being torn asunder at some point between the two legs, which said point will be Subject to the greatest strain.

The legs will be sufciently long to form a slot between them, the length of which will be equal to the width of the band employed, and the inn'er or adjacent sides of the legs should be rounded oft' so as not to present any square corner, over which the hoop is to be bent, and thus rendered liable to rupture.

There are two lugs, a. a', projecting inwardly at the outer ends of the legs, so as tO leave but a narrow slot between them, just suiciently large to allow the thickness of the band to pass between them. As these lugs a Overlap the slot formed between the legs for the band seats, they will prevent the band,.when Once in place, from slipping oft' of either leg.

The rst end of the hoop is to be bent around one of the legs previous to the time of using it. Then, after the hoop shall have been placed around the bale, the other end of the hoop should be drawn up alongside of the tie-piece to ascertain the proper length for it, and it will then be bent around into a loop, which loop will then be slipped in through the interstice left between the lugs a a', and the binding will be complete.

When the bale is removed from the press its increasing. bulk will press the loose ends Of the band tightly to the tie-piece. Having described my invention, what l claim is- A tie-piece, A, when constructed substantially as described and set forth. y

HENRY B. MERRITT.

Witnesses:

M. RANDOLPH, S. M. RANDOLPH. 

